Lost meaning?

I was out doing the last of my shopping today... and while driving home with my mum beside me, something really hit home.

How many people this year will not be enjoying the season of goodwill?

The question arose out of the depths of my mind when i saw some guy sitting in a beat up van at the side of the road, boot (thats trunk to all you ex-colonials across the pond ;)) open and selling some sorry looking bunches of flowers. The question that came to my mind first was... how could he afford much in the way of christmas if that was his job? After all, the highway is the metaphore for life... everyone is rushing somewhere, and few, if any, will stop.

Then, as my mind pondered this while sterring round the crazy christmas drivers that you always seem to get, it sank deeper. Or should i say rose to the fore?

How many people will not have their loved ones at home this year because they are off defending our freedoms in foreign lands and trying to bring freedom to those lands?

How many will not want to celibrate this year because of the events of Septermber 11?

How many, like i suspect the flower guy by the side of the road, will be unable to afford what we consider the normal christmas articles and festivities?

I would hazzard to say quite a few people.

But what of us? Those who are left?

It brought me to thinking about the occurences i had experienced while doing the actual shopping. How many times did i see people push into ques? How many times did i see mothers dragging their screaming children out of shops because they wanted everything they could lay their little hands on? Add to that the looks of grim determination of the shoppers in general. There seemed to be a distinct lack of goodwill.

Thinking back, all i can see over proveious years is this problem getting worse and worse.

The entire point of Christmas origionally was for the Christian church to stop pagans worshiping their old detites in England. But, I say that is only a mask for the real reason. That is for there to be one month in a year where people are to think about others. Their neighbours and whether they would have enough to eat over the winter months.

We seem to have lost out ways as a species. It should not be this way. We should not need one month of the year where we have a thin disguise of civility to our fellow humans.

Am i wrong?

Im afraid i am not.

So.. what can we do?

If every person who reads this article dos one thing to make it better.. then it is a start.

What do i ask?

At the very least THINK about what i have written.
At the most.... do something worthwhile. For my part, while out shopping, i purchased an extra turkey and have now donated it to the local homeless shelter kitchen. Its only a small gesture... but at least a few more people will have something this year.